Perfect's Flaw
by AAnnR
Summary: AU. Already under extreme stress, Alina has been pulled into an alternate dimension, experimented on, dropped onto a floating island, defended a talking emerald, and found the missing guardian. With all this she's strung thin. All she really wanted was a place to belong. knuckles x OC AAnnR
1. Chapter 1: Can't Catch a Break

**Chapter One - Work and No Door**

"_You don't know pride, you don't know fear, you don't know anything. You'll be perfect_." - Glados (Portal 2)

**XXX**

My alarm blared alive, scaring me from my dream. I rolled over to hit the clock and lazily kicked my covers off. Standing and stretching, I shuffled to my closet to pull out some gray skinny jeans and an orange hoody. Gingerly, I stripped off my old, sleeping tank to pull on a fresh green one.

I hated my morning routine. It was always the same; wake-up, get dressed, head out. It was boring. I sighed as I struggled into my pants (buttoning and zipping them), and as I left my room I slipped into my sweatshirt.

I head to the front door of my small apartment, picking up my small black backpack on the way. Strapping the bag around my left shoulder, I nudged on my dirty converse onto my bare feet before twisting the handle of my door. I passed through the threshold and shut the door and locked it with the keys hiding in the planter.

As soon as I locked the door and returned the keys to the soil of the pot, I turned and grabbed my bike that was laying around the corner against the wall. I hefted it down the concrete, metallic stairs down to the lowest level. I got it to the street before I straddled it and started peddling down the street.

A couple of miles later I came to a stop in front of a large, neighborhood grocer. I quickly locked the bike to the convenient bike rack located just right of the sliding doors and walked into building.

Immediately, I groaned at the sight of the chaos inside. The check-out lanes were all in operation with very long lanes of irritated shoppers and their were hundreds of people scrambling around in an attempt to gather last minute supplies before the big Turkey Diner the next day. Grumbling under my breath about the awful management of the store, I made my way to the back of the building into the employee locker room. I changed into my work clothes and deposited my bag into my locker before closing it roughly with a loud 'bang'.

"Jeeeezus!" A high whining voice spoke behind me. I sighed and closed my eyes in exasperation. It was Amanda, one of my many co-workers. I couldn't stand her. She w the epitamy of every cheerleader that pranced around in back in my high school.

Without turning around and leaning a hand on the lockers I spoke to her, trying to make some kind of civil conversation. "I thought you had the day off today." It wasn't a question, more like a statement. I knew my bad luck was bad, but I had looked forward to not seeing her face for once.

"I know right!?" She giggled. I heard her open her locker and go through the things in there. "The manager called me last night begging me to come into work. Rambling about something like 'to many incompetent people' and 'no one to trust.'" She lowered her voice to try and match the managers. "I just couldn't refuse!" The locker slammed closed.

I felt my anger flare. I pinched the bridge of my nose between the my middle finger and thumb, trying to calm down. "Well, good for you." I commented, moving away from my locker to leave the room.

"Ah, hold on!" She intercepted me, standing between me and my escape. "Why didn't you come to my party last night?"

Thousands of excuses flew through my mind, however, none of them seemed plausible enough to actually work on the prima-Dona in front of me. "No reason. I just didn't feel like going." I shrugged nonchalantly. Parties had never really been my scene, even when I entered the adult world after college. While everyone else was addicted the social scene of college and high school, I was busy studying and working to pay off my family's debts.

"That's the stupidest excuse ever." Amanda jutted her hip out and landed a clenched fit on the top hill of it.

"Excuse me?" I struggled to keep my voice calm. Why was I being so pissy today? I felt like everything around me was weighing down on my shoulders.

"You heard me." She scowled. It wasn't a pretty look on her face, it made her look like a mad clown with to much make-up. "I mean it's no wonder you don't have any friends! Your a depressing, emotional, angry wreck!"

"Emotional, angry what?!" I snarled. How dare she! If anyone was emotional in this room it would definitely be her!

"And your ugly."

I struggled to comprehend what she said, however my anger was getting the best of me. I was angry because she had the audacity to say that. I was angry because she had the ability to get under my skin. I was angry that I could let it affect me so much. But most of all, I was angry because it was true.

The next thing I knew I was on top of her sadistically pounding my fists into her face. She took on the shape of everyone who had ever wronged me. Every blow destroyed one image uncovering a brand new one. My family, my friends, my roommates, classmates, teachers, co-workers, bosses, random people on tv, all the men that never took an interest in me; they all took a turn in my wrath.

Her face was covered in blood while she screamed for help. Soon, someone did satisfy her pleading. Rough hands wrapped around my bisepts, lifting me from her and depositing me on the other side of the room, away from the hysterically bleeding woman. I fought against them, trying to get back to her, wanting desperately to finish the job.

A hand came from nowhere and collided with my face with a sharp slap! I panicked, what I had done was wrong. I stared at Amanda, who was sprawled on the floor, blood coming from her nose and mouth in thick streams. Tears streamed from her eyes, smearing her makeup all over her face. She looked like a beat up clown.

Crazed from my fear, I ran from the room. I ran and ran and ran. I didn't stop running until I got to the front door of my apartment. On the door was a yellow envelope. Dread filled my mind and I exasperatedly pulled the offensive thing from my door and roughly opened it. I unfolded the paper within it and stared at the contents within. On the top, in full, bolder letters spelled out 'Notice of Eviction.' I quickly crumpled the paper and stuffed it into my pocket. I dug through the planter for my room key.

After a moment of panic, I procured it from the soil. My hands shook as I unlocked the door, opened it, and closed it behind me. I leaned the cold wood, my eyes closed and tearing up. I knew the cops would soon be after me. I had to pack and get away. But my body was heavy and unresponsive. I sat there crying, in the bright light of my home. I just wanted to lay down and sleep.

**XXX**

"Should I take this opportunity?" A tenor voice penetrated the blackness that surrounded me.

"No! You should not!" This voice was slightly higher and more mechanical.

"I agree!" Another mechanical voice inputed.

"Your opinions are not needed." The tenor said simply. "Who knew I would ever get this chance! I thought humans were extinct!"

"Your a human."

"Whatever, go clean something of mine. Leave the genius to his work." The tenor voice said, his voice filled with stress.

"No, we're tired of you always bossing us around!" The computerized voice whined.

"Ya, we want to help!"

Someone sighed. "Fine!"

**XXX**

"What do you think the doctor has planned?"

"I don't know, but, whatever it is, it won't end badly."


	2. Chapter 2: Glass Tubes

**Chapter 2: I Didn't Know Glass Tubes Could Hold Humans As Well**

_"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your powers you cannot be successful or happy." ~_ Norman Vincent Peale

**XXX**

Warmth enveloped my body, suffocating me. I groaned, trying to turn over in my bed. However, my hands hit something hard, and I was propelled backwards. My eyes flung open. Everything was fuzzy before my eyes adjusted.  
I was in a tall, green tube. Soft light filtered from the top and bottom from small rings, illuminating the particles that floated freely around me. A series of cords connected from the top and ending somewhere in my body.

It wasn't long after I began inspecting the cords that something caught my eye. Noticing movement on the other side of the glass, I pressed the palms of my hands against the cool glass. I peered through to the fuzziness, trying to decider shapes, but the harder I tried to peer though it, the more indecipherable the figures became.

I became irritated that I couldn't see. So, to spite my captive cage, I pulled my hands up above my head, clasped them together and slammed them into glass with a loud thud. The swirly shapes stopped, which puzzled me but I repeated the process in hopes that it startle them in to moving again, much like a child does to make a fish move in a tank of water. I thought about the irony of this for a moment before my hands connected with the glass for a second time.

This time, the sound jolted the figures into a flurry. Pleased with the reaction, I noticed the spidering cracks along the cylindrical wall. _One more time_, I thought. I lifted my hands once more and slammed them against the glass, successfully shattering the surface. The shards propelled out by a great, immense force. Water drained from the container, trying to pull me with it but the cords restrained me from moving to far forward.

In the room from beyond the glass was now clear and concise. Robotic humanoids frantically moved around, climbing on chairs and scrapping the walls for a foot hold to try to get away from the impending water. Several of their brethren were in a electric pile on the ground, frantically jerking the metal limbs in quick succession.

One of the robots that had managed to climb to the top of a desk, jumped from the platform, sprinted across the floor and pushed a large, red button. Immediately, loud sirens threw-up waves of excessive sound, killing my eardrums. I cringed inwardly and threw my hands to my ears in an attempt to block the shrill noise from entering my head. Abruptly, however, the mechanical shrieking ended as quickly as it began with a long finally beep. Then, as if on cue, a man's voice echoed through the room.

"What the blazes is going on?"

"Doctor Eggman! Sir!" The robot who pressed the button shook underneath the force of the man's voice. "The subject, she's awake! She's broken free of her confinements!"

"Oh, really?!" Eggman sounded pleased. "I'll be down there in a minute, my dear!" His voice turned sickenly sweat. It took me a moment before I realized he was talking to me. True to his word, several seconds later the door slide open, allowing a big fat man dressed in red and black to come into the room. The man didn't waste any time and walked right through the electric puddles and on glass as he moved to the hole in my cage.

He scrutinized me as I stood, still hooked up to the machine above me, before he raised his arm. Apparently that was a signal because soon after, the chords and wires that were attached to my body released their hold. They dangled in the air for second then slowly receded to the top of the tube.

The man's voice drew my attention from the altogether disappeared wires. "Come down here, my dear." He had retreated a few feet away, rubbing his white gloved hands together.

I slowly bent down and lowered one of my feat off the edge of the metallic bottom. When my foot came in contact with the ground I moved my other foot right next to it. The ground was wet, cold, and rough on my bare feet. They splashed in a messy beat as I trekked my way around larger shards of glass to the larger man.

"Good." He said when I was finally an arms length from him. "Your muscles and joints seem to be doing quite nicely. Here try doing this with you fingers." He raised his hands up and individually touched his thumb to each of the digits in turn. When I complied he immediately congratulated me. "Good, my dear." He moved to the back of my, commanding me to keep my head still. Without warning a large 'snap' sounded in my ear. The sound startled me, and I immediately turned my head to the side to look for what made the offensive sound.

Before I could find anything something hard hit the back of my head. Shocked, my knees crumpled and I landed on them, clutching the back of my head. I heard a slight giggle as Eggman spoke, "I told you, my dear, to keep still. You would do wisely to listen to you when I give you such a kind warning."

I trembled in confusion. This was a bad man. He wasn't kind like I had thought him to be. I needed to get leave. Gritting my teeth, I stood back up. My mind was quickly turning; all I needed was an opening, and I could make my escape. I needed to get back home.

Home! I realized suddenly. Where was I? I didn't remember coming to a place like this. I went through m memories. No. I thought. I definitely didn't come here myself.

"Turn around." Eggman barked. I did as he said, sloppily splashing the water around me. "What is your name?" I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to offer my name to a lunatic. "Not going to respond?" He roughly grabbed my chin and stared into my eyes. "Well, I have ways of breaking you!" Eggman's grip tightened around my chin as he laughed to his own, secret joke. However, in his moment of self humor, his gloved thumb slipped over my bottom lip. Taking this chance, I opened my mouth and bite down. Hard.

He yelped and released me, shaking his hand as blood seeped through, staining the white cloth. It wasn't until he looked up to me and met my haze did fearfully sprint from the room. For a few couple steps my feet left temporary water prints, but as I got farther and farther away the marks slowly dissipated until my feet no longer left anything behind.

Eggman's voice roared behind me, bouncing off the walls of the twisting corridors and drowning out the slap of my feet against the concrete:_ I'LL GET YOU, WENCH!_

A shiver ran down my spin, urging me on. I turned down hallway after hallway, up multitudes of stairs, until, finally, I pulled open a metal door and was met by a large blast of wind. I struggled against it, pushing my way through the doorway. A bright blue sky surround the deck of, what I supposed, was a large ship. I raced the middle of the deck. If this was a ship, then there had to be life boats, but as I inspected the vast expanse of the ship there were none to be had. My hopes of escape dwindled as I witness several large, terrifying robots surrounded me.

"You're stuck, my dear." Eggman's voice was laced with cruel malice. I slowly turned around, my head bowed, but my brain working profusely. "Now, be obedient and allow my guards to return you the lab. There are still tests that I need to run on you-" He continued to ramble. There had to be a way off the ship. Then it clicked. If this was a ship then...! "Well, don't just stand there!" Eggman said to the robots. "Return her to the lab!"

Revitalized in sudden awareness, I quickly slipped underneath the robots as they all moved to grab me. I sprinted as quickly as I could to the edge of the ship, not listening to the protests Eggman shouted behind me. "No! Don't! You don't have wings." That mattered little to me, since I was going to swim. The moment my toes touched the edge of the metallic ship I jumped, pulling my knees to my chest, plugged my nose, closed my eyes in anticipation of cool water.

However, the touch of liquid never came. Opening my eyes in confusion, I was startled by the blue and white all around me. Wind whipped at me from below, pulling at my hair and sparse clothing. I turned my head, confusion riddling me when I did not see water. Instead, a large space of green grew out beneath me, purple mountains rose somewhere to the north, and water surrounded the edges of the rest of the land. I, to my grief, was not going to be landing in water.

The earth came at me at great speed. I grew larger and larger until I came in contact with the first tree branch, which seemed to impale my stomach, breaking immediately, and ultimately slowing my fall. I broke through the next one, and the next, until I came to a complete stop only a few feet from the ground. I didn't believe it. While every part of my body was screaming, it just provided proof that I was alive.

Yet, despite my body trying to die from the inside-out, I managed to catch a glimpse at the ship I had fallen from moments before. Fear of being captured fill my mind. I scrambled down the tree and began to run through the dense forest. Branches dug at my wounds and made fresh new ones. The ground was thick and wet, caking my feet and sucking them into the ground.

Predictably, the longer I fought the feral terrain, the more exhausted and hurt I became. Sweat dripped down my skin, leaking into my various cuts making them skin. The humidity was palpable, as if there was actual cognitive water flowing into my lungs instead of the sweet air that I yearned for. I fought and fought and fought to keep my body moving.

**XXX**

The wind caressed my face, brushing a strand of my hair that was laying on my nose to the side. It was so peaceful, and, as soon as I got my breath back, I began to relax. The air was sweet with the scents of vegetation, hints of pollen and dirt invaded my nostrils. Blades of grass tickled my over exposed body, lowering my defenses. The day was ending. The sky, where I had just fall from half a day prior, was newly painted with bright hues of orange, red and pink, highlighted with the only slight discoloration of clouds.

I had stumbled, only a short time ago, in to the clearing after tripping over my own feet. I was depleted in energy and to tired to pick myself up only to completely collapse. I was to tired to care about any pursuing robots. The only thing my mind registered for a long while was the way my body seemed to scream at me as I breathed. But as I laid there, I became more and more comfortable. The forest just seemed much more inviting, as if it were calling for me. It yearned for me to move and continue on, as if it wanted me to find something. But even that began to lull me.

_Come to me~._ Something whispered in my ear. _Find me~._ It sent pleasure through my body. I was so close, I just needed to..._Look for me~._


	3. Chapter 3: Pretty Emerald

**Chapter 3: When Emeralds Do More Than Look Pretty**

_"A livelier emerald twinkles in the grass, a purer sapphire melts into the sea." ~_ Tennyson Maud

**XXX**

By dawn I was up and moving, no longer able to sit still. I felt the forest calling me, channeling an actual need to get up and search.

'_Come, I'm waiting_.' The voice slipped through my mind languidly, delivering my consciousness into a drunken state. My thoughts twisted themselves, only one desire available to my whims: find the source.

Leaving the clearing, I found my myself searching through the forest of the island. Everywhere I turned trees blocked my vision, making it difficult to actually search, but as I continued my mind became fuzzier and I stopped looking altogether. Instead, I knew if I kept moving I would find what I needed to. The yearning in my belly would lead me.  
The fire within me burned hotter and bolder as I traveled around trees, over boulders, and through bushes. It was close. The fire became one with my mind, and, as I passed through the last of the vegetation, I knew I had arrived.

I entered a massive field of grass, of which surrounded a large monument of stone. The structure laid in layers, each proportionally smaller than the one below it. It wasn't the structure I was being drawn to, however, and while the fuzzy disarray of weird attraction had finally left me, I felt a compulsion to venture to the top. With ease, I climbed up the steps of the monument and as I climbed higher the air felt more vibrant. The fire in my belly and mind had dulled, instead of the heavy unbearable heat from before, it now only filled my core and delivered a nice radiant warmth throughout my body.

As each step brought me higher, my body became lighter, until, finally, I made it to the last stair of the mountain. The top was flat, reaching out to have several square feet of intricate patterns of stone. The drawings rotated and circling towards the middle of platform, but my eyes weren't drawn to the etchings, instead they saw to what the patterns rotated to. Floating, there in front of me, was a large green gem.

Slowly, I moved to it, loving the feeling of warmness it imminated. The green glow was small and delicate, compelling me closer and closer until I was inches from it. The gem, itself was as tall as my waist and about two feet wide. It was cut in the same shape I often saw on wedding rings, only a hundred times larger.

After a small bout of hesitation, I touched the gem's surface. At first, it was cool and slick, which confused me, since it was emitting small traces of heat. However, the gem quickly turned warmer. I felt relieved and a sense of belonging.

'_Finally!_' The voice in my head sighed out. As if the word was a signal, the gem's light began to lap at up my arm. Crying out, I shrank back in fear and moved to avoid the invigorated green fire, but it had already caught my skin. Busy with patting at the flame to put it out, it took me a moment to realize that the flame was not burning me. Instead, even as it grew up my arm to my shoulder and on, it filled my senses with an intense, energetic feeling. Energy pulsated through my veins, and before I knew it I touching the gem with both hands.

More light flowed from the gem, thick cords of energy attached themselves to various places on my body. 'Clear your mind.' The voice commanded, and I felt compelled to do as it said. '_Imagine the energy flowing through your veins. It is me, and I am becoming one with your heart_.'

**XXX**

"Who are you?" I asked it. The green light had finally faded away as the sun set hours ago. Even though there was an absence of chords of energy, I could still feel it radiating through me. I felt complete and at ease, something that had not happened in a very long time. Sometime ago I had lain down, exhausted from the day's advances. Though I had just been pumped to the brim with energy, I felt as if I had just ran a marathon.

I overwhelmed by the sense of humor. Taken aback, I sat in contemplation. Was this a riddle or a ploy? "You control the gem here then?" I sat up and leaned against my arms.

'_Emerald_.' The voice sang through my head. '_I am_.'

I didn't quite seem possible. I stared intensely at the gem, searching the glowing majesty within it. "You're the emerald?" The gem just flickered in response, and I felt a wave of agreeance hit my subconscious. The emerald's emotion covered my own, sending my brain in to a frenzy to try regain a hold of my own.

After a moment of silence I was washing into a sickening feeling, loneliness I pin-pointed after the emotion died away. "Your lonely?" The emerald flickered. I rolled to my side, my front facing the glowing green gem, my head resting on the crook of my arm. "I won't leave tonight then." I was responded with the feeling of relief.

**XXX**

I awoke as the sun broke over the horizon, invading the thin skin of my eyelids. I rolled over, searching for my blanket to cover my head. When I couldn't find it, I became confused and opened my eyes. I was met with the sight of a giant green gem and I suddenly recalled the event of yesterday. Slowly, I sat up. Every muscle in my body screamed at me as I lifted my arms above my head and stretched.

Looking over to the emerald, I smiled a bit. "Good morning." When I didn't receive a response back I was a little bit shocked, and I began to be concerned that it was all just a dream. Reaching over, I touched the smooth surface of the gem and immediately felt a sense of peace and tranquility. Content that I wasn't crazy, I stood and stretched again making several of my joints pop. Perhaps sleeping on the ground wasn't the best idea for my back.

Silently, trying not to wake up the gem (could a human wake up an inanimate object?), I climbed down the stairs and walked in to the woods. I need to take care of a few human urges, and I knew the emerald would understand. Randomly choosing a tree I used it to lean on as I relieved myself. When my bladder was empty I walked back in direction of the clearing.

I was increasingly curious about the area. While I had just ran through this part of the forest last night, I hadn't actually gotten to take in the actual terrain of it. The trees and plants were not unlike the plants from the the small field I had collapsed in the previous day. Deciding to take a detour, I took a left and continued on.

I trekked through the forest until I found a small pond. Fascinated, I quickly stripped off my flimsy hospital gown and ran into the water. Glad to have some form of cleansing process, I swam a couple laps in the water. When I was tired, I stood in a relatively shallow part of the water and ran my fingers through my hair, attempting to untangle. I gasped when my nailed scratched a relatively sore part of my head. Pausing for a bit a moment to allow the slight pulsing pain to subside, my finger tips easily finding the sore object and traced it.

My heart pounded in my chest, there was no way. Where my ear was supposed to be there, instead, was a foreign thing was soft and fury. As if the thing sensed my shock it twitched away from my touch. Completely scared, I jumped out of the pond and ran around to a side were the surface wasn't moving. I stared at my reflection, turning my head to side and parting my hair. I saw my eyes widen in shock and my mouth clench. There on my head, instead of a normal human ear, was a brown furry object, in laid with light pink. I touched it to make sure that it wasn't just my hair stuck to my ear. But when I pulled the tip, I was filled with slight pain.

I quickly turned my head to the other side and found there was something completely identical. "What the hell?!" I screamed at myself. Then, I noticed my other changed features. I still held a human face, but my eyes had changed colors. Instead of my dark gray irises, I now possessed dark green ones.

My chest, while I had never really had large breasts, they were now noticeably small and sported what looked like a tattoo. Two dark lines traveled from top inside of my left boob, split apart to travel in a crescent shape, the lower line etched only a couple of centimeters from the top of each nipple, and ended on my right boob, near my armpit. "I HAVE A SMILEY FACE ON MY CHEST!" I screeched, hitting the water to destroy the image. I stepped away from the reflection. Maybe, I was just stressed. "Ya," I said to myself. "I just need to calm down."

I took a few calming breaths before stepping next to the water and look at my reflection in the water again. The tattoo was still there. I reached up to feel my ears, and...yep, those were still those sensitive fur blobs. I screamed and went to hit the water again, but this time I tripped and landed on my but. Somehow, landing on my rear hurt four times more than normal. Reaching to my but my hands came in contact with something that defiantly was not supposed to be there. I harshly grabbed the thing, bent it a bit, causing tears to come to my eyes, and turned my head to look over my shoulder. Like my hair and ears, this thing was brown and furry, however, in contrast, it was long, skinny and pointed.

Releasing the object from behind me, I walked around the pond and tugged my hospital dress back on left the clearing.


	4. Chapter 4: Questions

**Chapter 4: Questions That Should Never Have An Answer **

"_Advice is what we ask when we already know the answer, but we wish we didn't_." ~ Erica Jong

**XXX**

I made the final leap to the top platform of the emerald's perch. Panting, my senses were overwhelmed with emotions of surprise and humor. "What *_pant*_ is so *_pant_* funny?" I was bent over, my hands braced against each knee and my lungs heaving with effort. After catching a bit of my breath I took a couple of steps closer to the emerald. "What the hell happened to me!?" Underneath the emerald's emotions that were layer over me, I was rather frustrated.

The emerald emitted a blend of inquiry and calm. "No!" I stomped my foot against the stone floor. "I won't calm down!" I didn't know how ranting to a sentient gem would do anything, but at this point I really didn't care. Over the last few days too much had happened; getting into a fight, being fired, evicted from my home, kidnapped, almost dying twice, jumping from an airborne machine, getting lost in a jungle, meeting a talking emerald, and discovering abnormal growths on my body along with a brand new tattoo.

'_Look for the guardian's home_.' The gem's voice overtook my own thoughts, projecting an image in the green reflective depths. The picture was of a hole at the base of a tree.

I sniffed, tears almost coming to my eyes. My anger was mostly gone now, all that was left was the firmiliar feeling of the empty loneliness of being lost and afraid. "You want me to find that?" The emerald flickered in response. "Will whatever is in there tell me want's going on?" The emerald didn't respond, but instead showed me the image again. "Okay," I grumbled, throwing my hands in the air, "I'll look for the dammed thing."

I jogged down the steps of the emerald's monument and searched the trees that lined the clearing. I circled around each one, closely inspecting the bottom near the roots. After looking at all those, I search behind that line of trees in layers.

Sometime in the evening I found, on the north side of a tree, a hole in the dirt at the base of the tree trunk. It was a couple of feet wide and set up slanted against the small hill of roots underneath the tree. "Hey!" I called into the darkness of the hole. "Is anyone in there?" I tried this several times, then I waited for a a couple of long hours to see if anyone would return. I sat at away from the tree, having already tried to sit against it and accidently hitting my already sore tail. In annoyance I moved a few paces away and made myself.

Sitting on the floor of the forest, much to my surprise, was very peaceful. Birds twittered in the tree and smaller animals would often hide in the bushes making the leaves shudder against themselves. And as the afternoon waned on, the more activity and bustle awoke around me. It seemed the animals were, in the beginning, afraid of my presence, but now they became very bold in their attempts to see the new phenomenon.

When the sun began to lower I, being quite tired and upset, walked back to the emerald. "Now what?" I questioned it after climbing back up the stair case. The gem was strangely silent, and didn't respond. Instead, I felt minimal amounts of energy leaving the emerald, in large contrast to earlier today when it vibrant with green life.

I shivered as small gusts if wind tugged at my hair and dress. The last rays of sunlight did little warm me. It was going to be colder than the night before and I needed a place out of the wind. Looking around from the edge of the monument and seeing nothing to house myself I began to think of the hole. Even though logically it was a good idea, there was bound to be a plethora of bugs and spiders down in the bottom who were also trying to avoid the chilly evening.

For a couple of moments I stood on the edge of the stone platform, my arms crossed, and staring at the sunset. I was still very confused about the changes of my body. So, in defeat, I climbed down the stair case and retraced my steps back to the hole. Even though I was very reluctant to use a hole as a shelter for sleep, I was really to cold to care.

Finding the tree with only a little bit of difficulty, I lowered myself to my hands and knees. I then dipped my and proceeded to shuffled along though the tunnel. The circular hole was just large enough to fit my body. Unsurprisingly, I could feel the top of the tunnel rub the back of my head and when I tried to raise my head a little bit, the ceiling would prevent me from doing so. After a little bit of this awkward shuffling, I bent my arms in to my rib cage and lifted my head up to see. However, I quickly came to realize that it was to dark to see, but having my head raised gave me some oddly formed comfort.

The tunnel, while it grew considerably darker as I traveled farther inside, smelled heavily of earth. The beautiful musk of the soil permeated my senses, reminded me of unpleasant memories, ones filled with physical pain and emotional torment. Perhaps it was the darkness around me, but the absence of sound and sight provided no distractions from horrible recollections.

Elementary school was usually known as a place to expand your horizons by creating bonds with other children. The interaction with other people from an early age opens a social aspect of the child's development. So, by nature of curiosity and encouragement, children are invited to be friends with everyone. I, however, was never encouraged in this aspect of life. While my teachers did try to get me to be friendly with my peers, my parents frowned upon sociality. So, by extension and expectation, I never saw friends as something important.

This did not mean that I never wanted friends. No, I wanted friends, and in fact I thought I had friends for the first years of elementary school. I did not know that I treated my peers with an uncaring attitude and my peers saw the only way to deal with my unsociableness was with kindness. However, as years passed, and we grew older and more mature, my peers would respond to my uncaring attitude with spite and reproach.

I finally realized that my classmates hated me in fifth grade; after school was over and done with for the day, most of the kids in the neighborhood would head to the playground for a few hours. Normally, even though I wanted to join in with the kids and play, I was made, by my parents, to return home quickly. But this particular day I was stopped by a group of girls.

They were all, what society would label, perfect little girls. Each one was dressed smartly in cute, matching clothing, their hair done up with clips and barretts, and although faces were still round with baby fat their limbs were beginning to become longer and fuller.

For a couple of moments they were friendly and nice, asking me to play some trivial game with them. When I refused, one of the girls began to cry and the rest verbally assaulted me. While I was mostly shocked by their behavior, I managed to retort with my own snide comment. Unfortunately, the odds being one to many, I was slightly roughed up and left on the sidewalk.

I sneezed, breaking myself from my memory by hitting the back of my head against the ceiling of the tunnel. I rubbed the aching spot before ducking my head and pressing on. Continuing in this fashion, I crawled until I noticed a small light emerge from the depths of the overwhelming darkness. The farther in I went and closer to light I got the more the air changed from the clean smell of soil to a light, spicy odor. I found it almost distracting.

Finally, as the tunnel slowly became flooded with a soft green light, I entered a small chamber about five feet in width, length, and height. A strip of green light illuminated halfway to the ceiling from the flow, and rotated all the way around the room.

I began to speculate how the light managed to get so far down into the ground, when a nice warmth dipped into the core of my body. It was comfortable and hypnotizing, my muscles relaxed and my eyelids started drooping. Within minutes I was curled up, fast asleep against one of the walls.


End file.
